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Sun, 18 Feb 2018 04:37:54 +0000Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbMorrisons shares jump 6.5% after securing Amazon dealhttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2161-morrisons-shares-jump-6-5-after-securing-amazon-deal
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2161-morrisons-shares-jump-6-5-after-securing-amazon-dealIn isolation the Amazon tie-in looks like a superb strategic opportunity for Morrisons. It gives the retailer significant online exposure to Amazon's which is especially valuable given how much it has lagged the competition in this channel in the past. However, we have heard this before and Morrisons' tie-in with Ocado, the other big name in UK online retail, was also announced two years ago with high expectations that have yet to reach fruition. That the Amazon deal comes in conjunction with a renegotiation of the Ocado deal highlights the complexity Morrisons faces in selling through two online suppliers who…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzMon, 29 Feb 2016 11:32:36 +0000Miners Push Europe Stocks Higher as FTSE 100 Gains With BHPhttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2153-miners-push-europe-stocks-higher-as-ftse-100-gains-with-bhp
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2153-miners-push-europe-stocks-higher-as-ftse-100-gains-with-bhpThe rebound in stocks is just a reflection of the heightened volatility in equity markets since the start of the year. After falling sharply in the past few weeks, stocks are now responding to stronger oil and some positive news from select energy firms. It is no sign of a real turnaround in the resources sector and the general picture is still pretty dire. Prices of most industrial metals remain near multiyear lows. Commodity markets are plagued by oversupply, as production capacity has been bolstered by a surge in investment during the boom years, while demand has weakened in line…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzMon, 22 Feb 2016 10:15:36 +0000Iran says it is 'illogical' for it to join oil output freezehttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2147-iran-says-it-is-illogical-for-it-to-join-oil-output-freeze
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2147-iran-says-it-is-illogical-for-it-to-join-oil-output-freezeThe deal yesterday and the meeting today may mark the beginning of a fraught, protracted negotiation process within OPEC. Yet joint output cuts by both OPEC members and Russia remain a distant prospect. The process is a smart strategy for Saudi Arabia. It shows that they are willing to collaborate and are not stubbornly sticking to their painful strategy of flooding the market to evict higher-cost producers. It shifts the burden of responsibility for refusing to cut production to arch-rival Iran. Finally, it maintains the status quo while talks are ongoing, thereby continuing to press US shale and other struggling…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzWed, 17 Feb 2016 09:50:38 +0000Poor mental health care 'ruining lives'http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2145-poor-mental-health-care-ruining-lives
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2145-poor-mental-health-care-ruining-livesThe decision to devote £1bn a year more to mental health services by 2020-21 is a welcome sign that this area of treatment is finally getting fuller recognition within the NHS. Not only are mental health services underfunded, but that underfunding actually pushes up costs elsewhere in the health system. Patients risk more complications, needing longer treatment, if their physical illnesses are compounded by mental health problems. Moreover, the knock-on effects for their employment, their families and their living conditions means that there are huge costs for society as a whole if mental health is not treated seriously. The taskforce…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzMon, 15 Feb 2016 11:58:55 +0000Junior doctors begin second 24-hour strike over contracthttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2143-junior-doctors-begin-second-24-hour-strike-over-contract
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2143-junior-doctors-begin-second-24-hour-strike-over-contractThe stand-off between the government and the British Medical Association is escalating, and it looks like neither side is prepared to back down. Part of the battle is over public opinion, and although the latest polls continue to show strong public support for doctors, opinion is polarising and government support is also rising. The government may gain further ground as the strikes start to make a serious impact on patient care, but BMA claims that Jeremy Hunt personally vetoed its cost-neutral offer in the negotiations may prove damaging to his case. As the negotiations get increasingly bad-tempered, the government needs…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzWed, 10 Feb 2016 10:16:16 +0000US election 2016: New Hampshire set for key primaryhttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2141-us-election-2016-new-hampshire-set-for-key-primary
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2141-us-election-2016-new-hampshire-set-for-key-primaryThe NH primary is unlikely to provide much clarity on either race. Bernie Sanders has long held a significant lead over Hillary Clinton; we expect him to win comfortably. But the Clinton machine will begin to assert its dominance at the next primary, in South Carolina. From then onwards, we expect Mr Sanders to find life tougher. On the Republican side, Marco Rubio's impressive third place was the most consequential development in Iowa. But since then he has not helped himself with a poor performance during the weekend's debate; he crumpled under more concerted attacks from his direct rivals: Jeb…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzTue, 09 Feb 2016 10:15:05 +0000Shell confirms 10,000 job cuts amid a steep profits fallhttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2139-shell-confirms-10-000-job-cuts-amid-a-steep-profits-fall
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2139-shell-confirms-10-000-job-cuts-amid-a-steep-profits-fallNone of the oil majors are being spared by the precipitous fall in oil prices since mid-2014. Shell's plunge in profits was particularly steep—from US$19bn to US$3.8bn—as it wrote down several assets in its upstream business, notably in the US shale sector, the Arctic and in Canadian oil sands. The announced spending reductions—including reduced investment and some 10,000 job cuts—are only partly a result of this. They also form part of the company's broader strategy following its acquisition of the UK's BG Group, which will become effective this month. Although this purchase reinforces Shell's reserves position and will boost its…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzThu, 04 Feb 2016 10:37:16 +0000BP's full-year profits more than halvehttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2137-bp-s-full-year-profits-more-than-halve
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2137-bp-s-full-year-profits-more-than-halveBP's financial results are in line with the trends of the past few quarters, with full year profits halving in 2015 as crude oil prices plunged by almost 50% from 2014. Like other majors, BP managed to offset losses in its upstream business with stronger performance in downstream, in part thanks to high refining margins. On the operational front, BP's announcement is an indication of the increasingly difficult environment for crude producers. BP managed to increase oil production by 11% year on year in 2015, as new projects in Europe and the rest of the world more than offset a…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzTue, 02 Feb 2016 10:44:02 +0000Sainsbury's offers £1.3bn for Argoshttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2135-sainsbury-s-offers-1-3bn-for-argos
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2135-sainsbury-s-offers-1-3bn-for-argosIf successful this could be a brave and decisive move by Sainsbury's – allowing the retailer to diversify its appeal, repurpose its store space and simplify its own offering. In the medium term, this would create two retailers under one roof, one focusing on non-feed and the other on groceries. If the £120m per year cost saving synergies touted by Sainsbury's are accurate, or conservative as the retailer claims, then the deal will effectively have paid for itself in little more than a decade. However, there is a flip side to this. Argos has developed a strong multichannel offering but…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzTue, 02 Feb 2016 10:17:44 +0000Kingfisher aims for £500m profit boosthttp://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2129-kingfisher-aims-for-500m-profit-boost
http://www.eiumedia.com/index.php/daily-comment/item/2129-kingfisher-aims-for-500m-profit-boostKingfisher's announcement is in some ways an encouraging recognition of a number of disruptors that the business faces in the medium term. Not only is the growth in online sales likely to make greater inroads into the home retail market, but Kingfisher is also likely to see an intensification in competition following the takeover and upcoming re-branding of Homebase by Bunnings. Enhancing its multichannel offering, especially via click and collect and smaller retail spaces is something that Kingfisher has pioneered well with Screwfix. It will be interesting to see how this translates into other business areas with larger spaces needed…]]>JoyAnneGreaves@eiu.com (JoyAnne Greaves)Daily BuzzMon, 25 Jan 2016 10:50:04 +0000